Russian Su-33 skids off Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier

RT
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 17:47 UTC

© Ministry of defence of the Russian Federation / Sputnik

Su-33 fighter on the deck of Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier

A fighter jet based on the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov skid off the deck during landing and became lost at sea after an arrestor gear line snapped and failed to stop the aircraft, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

The pilot ejected from the plane and was rescued unharmed, the statement said.

"Naval aviation sorties are continuing in accordance with their tasks," the ministry added.

The Su-33 is the second aircraft that has been lost from the Kuznetsov fleet during its ongoing mission in the Mediterranean. Earlier, a Mig-29 fighter jet was not able to land and ran out of fuel because the deck crew of the carrier failed to fix a broken arrestor gear.

The deployment of the Admiral Kuznetsov to Syria is its first combat mission since the ship was built. It is the only aircraft carrier currently in service in the Russian Navy.

Comment: See also: Russian Mig-29 crashes into the Mediterranean; pilot unhurt

Update: The Kremlin considers it important that the pilot survived the crash during landing on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in the Mediterranean Sea, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"This is very tense, hard and heroic work," the Kremlin spokesman said in reply to a journalists' request to comment on the crash of a Russian fighter jet in the Mediterranean Sea.

According to the spokesman, this is precisely how this should be assessed.

"The talk, in the first place, is about the fact that the pilot has remained alive," Peskov said.

Russia's Sukhoi-33 fighter jet crashed in the Mediterranean while landing on The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, with the pilot ejecting to safety, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement obtained by TASS.

"After performing a combat mission over Syria a Sukhoi-33 fighter-jet overran the runway while trying to land on The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier. The arresting cable's rupture was the reason," the report says.